Motorized/ Non-Motorized Pantograph

[Roger B]

Addertooth,

Not sure if your last post was directed to me and my comment about the cutters but yes these would be suitable for the straight shank cutters but as I said the T H pantos (unless the spindle is set up for collets) use tapered shanks as in the pdf below

http://www.pantograph.co.uk/pdfs/carbide_cutters.pdf

 

[Brian Marshall]

More like some of the old milling machine cutters... before most went to collets.

Roger, do they make a collet fixed a tapered shank that would hold smaller straight shank cutter tips for your model machine?

If they did, it's sure be a lot more convenient and cost you less.

Those one piece tapered shank cutters can't be cheap to buy new or to resharpen!


Brian

 

[Roger B]

More like some of the old milling machine cutters... before most went to collets.

Roger, do they make a collet fixed a tapered shank that would hold smaller straight shank cutter tips for your model machine?

If they did, it's sure be a lot more convenient and cost you less.

Those one piece tapered shank cutters can't be cheap to buy new or to resharpen!


Brian

Thanks for your thoughts Brian,

I know that a collet version is available but at the moment that is out of the question (over 500 UK pounds). I will refer to a local engraver and talk to him to see the best way to go.

Roger

 

[diandwill]

send a few clear fotos of the unit. front, side & from the top. i may be able to determine what the machine needs to be in operation.

Thank you. We've been busy with a show, and the next few days are catch-up on the ignored work. I will try to get some comprehensive shots and send them on.

Will

 

[monk]

Good on you. It will put you far ahead of those who don't bother to read threads with titles unfamiliar to them....

Number one rule: If it saves you time and can give you as good or better a result as you were getting before - at least LEARN ABOUT IT.

Then use it if it fits in with the work you do.


Brian

for sure ! i do a lot of commercial stuff. on logos and such. i can't think of how much time this gadget has saved me over the years. it may take an hour or more to cut a master. the time saved then, as a layout tool, well tons of time ! my real prompt to get this gadget was the usmc logo. i grew sick and tired of drawing that one. so i bought the panto and made a template. for me , a very wise investment !

 

[peteb]

I bought this Preis panto last year for only $200. To have it shipped to me cost $250! It seems to have been made in 1965 and hardly used (could have been a government machine) Anyway it came with a straight 1/8 collet and hold down clamps. I have templates made of letter -press polymer. This is great for milling out "bezel" shapes for my platinum/niobium/sterling jewelry. It is quite accurate feeding the cutter into the work by .001 increments. The tee-slot work table has an up and down range of 3" More room can be achieved with riser blocks if need be.

 

[monk]

I bought this Preis panto last year for only $200. To have it shipped to me cost $250! It seems to have been made in 1965 and hardly used (could have been a government machine) Anyway it came with a straight 1/8 collet and hold down clamps. I have templates made of letter -press polymer. This is great for milling out "bezel" shapes for my platinum/niobium/sterling jewelry. It is quite accurate feeding the cutter into the work by .001 increments. The tee-slot work table has an up and down range of 3" More room can be achieved with riser blocks if need be.

you got a bargain there. even with shipping !. this puppy is built like a tank. the nice feature of the "t" slot-- you can very easily get an exact orientation without a lot of fiddling around. my machine vise shaft detents at 0, 45, and 90. anything in between those settings can be tricky to orient template to the part.

 

[peteb]

To orient the templates I installed a readout on the slide you see on top of the machine . I wondered what that was for as there is no mention in the manual. If you can see that the spindle has a kind of a dead center ground into the top of it and if you move the slide over that point and insert a bushing to slide inside the arm so it contacts the spindle point it centers the spindle on the work table. To locate the template after I get it in position for a layout I simply extend the arm and using some heat melt a reference point into the polymer in 2 places and record the readings. Next time I set up for that template I can re-reference on those 2 points and have an accurate setup.

 

[RDP]

Addertooth,

Not sure if your last post was directed to me and my comment about the cutters but yes these would be suitable for the straight shank cutters but as I said the T H pantos (unless the spindle is set up for collets) use tapered shanks as in the pdf below

http://www.pantograph.co.uk/pdfs/carbide_cutters.pdf

Roger what size is the taper on your machine?, if it is a standard morse taper you can get the ER collet chucks in MT1, MT2, also ER collet chucks with straight shanks but not smaller than 10mm shanks,

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ER11-MT1-MK1-M6-SPRING-COLLET-CHUCK-CNC-MILLING-LATHE-TOOL-WORKHOLDING-NEW-A13-/111832886624?hash=item1a09c26d60:g:bqAAAOSwxH1T3PMs

maybe be suitable?

Richard.

 

[Roger B]

Roger what size is the taper on your machine?, if it is a standard morse taper you can get the ER collet chucks in MT1, MT2, also ER collet chucks with straight shanks but not smaller than 10mm shanks,

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ER11-MT1-MK1-M6-SPRING-COLLET-CHUCK-CNC-MILLING-LATHE-TOOL-WORKHOLDING-NEW-A13-/111832886624?hash=item1a09c26d60:g:bqAAAOSwxH1T3PMs

maybe be suitable?

Richard.

Richard, this is where the fun starts.

The original cutters that I have have a width of 5.5mm tapering to 4.1mm. I've been having a tinker with the machines since receiving the ordered parts and have found that the cutter retainer doesn't hold the cutter as the hole in the centre isn't large enough to move up the cutter and allow the the cutter retainer cap to be screwed on to the spindle and the hole in the cutter retainer cap is too large to hold the cutter witheout the retainer. I'm hoping to see a panto engraver on Monday to get some advise but as with many things I expect that this is going to be a journey of adventure (and sometimes mis-adventure) learning how to use the machines.

I do have an option where I can get a spindle that uses collet chucks but at current exchange rates of around A$1000-. I'm in no huge rush and things will fall into place but I appreciate any help which is forthcoming.

Roger

 

[mghall]

I have a GTX-U. The jack is missing some pieces. Could someone send me some pictures of the jack looking down from the top.
thank you.